Thursday 5 January 2017 14:31, UK
The break-up of the Bradford team continued on Thursday with back-row forward Alex Mellor joining Huddersfield and former Hull KR centre Kris Welham signing for Salford.
They take the number of confirmed departures from Bradford to four in the 48 hours since the club went into liquidation, rendering all the players free agents.
Jason Walton has moved to Featherstone and Tom Olbison has signed for Super League club Widnes while James Clare and Adam Sidlow are also thought to have lined up moves away from Odsal.
Huddersfield coach Rick Stone expressed his delight over the signing of the 22-year-old Mellor on a three-year deal and his sadness at the events that have led to the break-up of the four-time Super League champions.
"Like everyone I am extremely disappointed to see the ways that things have unfolded at the Bulls and frankly it's a pretty shocking development for the game as a whole in this country and a wake-up call to everyone involved in the administration of our sport," Stone said.
"From Alex's perspective I guess he simply needed an opportunity and employment which I'm pleased that we are in a position to be able to offer him.
"He lives near our club, he's already played quite a lot of senior games for someone of his age and clearly he has a deal of potential to exploit in his game and physical development."
Mellor, who will join up with his former Bradford team-mates Paul Clough, Dale Ferguson and Lee Gaskell at the John Smith's Stadium, said: "It has been a hard time at Bradford for everyone involved and I can't thank the club enough for what they have done for me.
"I have been there eight years, including scholarship, and I will be forever grateful to them.
"Like the rest of the lads I was devastated earlier in the week but to be honest I'd been well advised by my manager Craig Harrison and we'd been talking about the "what if scenario", which was a frightening thought and one that sadly came to fruition.
"I'm over the moon to be signing for the Giants, the set-up is second to none and there is a genuine opportunity for a place in the matchday 17, which is what my aim is."
Welham, 29, who scored 29 tries in 30 appearances for the Bulls in 2016, has signed a two-year contract with the Red Devils.
Salford coach Ian Watson said: "The unfortunate situation with Bradford means we have been able to benefit with a quality addition to an area where we were short.
"Kris has proven over the years he is a Super League player with great ability. Everyone you speak to says he is a great guy with a good mentality so will fit well with what we are creating here at Salford."
Clubs have been given special dispensation on their salary cap to sign players from Bradford, who may well have to look to the loan market to build a team for their opening Championship match at Hull KR on February 5 if the club is reformed.
Head coach Rohan Smith has indicated his willingness to stay on and one player set to follow suit is former Great Britain stand-off Leon Pryce, who rejoined his home-town club in the close season after spells at St Helens, Catalans Dragons and Hull.
Pryce told former Bulls team-mate Robbie Hunter-Paul on his radio show: "Absolutely I'd still like to be involved. I'm a Bradford lad and I still live locally. We need to redevelop this club. We need a Bradford Bulls."
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Rugby League Group has expressed its sadness at the loss of the former world club champions and says lessons must be learned.
Group chairman and Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland said: "The demise of Bradford Bulls is very disappointing and sad news for Bradford and for rugby league.
"Bradford has a long and proud history within the game and there must continue to be a professional rugby league team in the city. Lessons need to be learnt from what has happened here.
"It is, however, encouraging to hear that there are already several expressions of interest about starting a new club in Bradford and I hope that the right people can come together to make that happen. The Parliamentary Rugby League Group and the Bradford MPs will certainly do what we can to support."
Bradford South MP Judith Cummins added: "The history and legacy of the Bradford Bulls must not be lost and rugby league must have a future at Odsal. This is something I have already raised with the RFL in case a deal could not be done.
"We must know what has happened and why the situation at Odsal got so bad under the previous owners that a deal to save the club could not be done.
"The liquidator will have a very big role in getting to the bottom of that but there is a problem beyond the financial side of this situation with ownership in sport that needs to be investigated fully."
